French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
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This lentil salad is the reason I always have a bag of French lentils on hand. They cook in about 25 minutes, then tossed with wilted spinach, crumbled goat cheese, and a sharp Dijon vinaigrette that soaks into every lentil while they’re still warm.
French green lentils have a way of making even the simplest preparation feel a bit fancy. The classic bistro treatment involves cooked lentils, sharp Dijon vinaigrette, and a handful of herbs — one of those dishes that asks very little of you. This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz, the Paris-based cookbook author whose instincts about French food I’ve always trusted completely.
Goat cheese is the addition that earns this salad a place at the dinner table, rather than just the lunch box. Soft and tangy, it’s the counterpoint the earthy lentils need. Baby spinach goes in at the same time — the warm lentils wilt it just enough to make the whole thing feel like a proper salad.
About French lentils
- French lentils: Sometimes called Le Puy or lentilles du puy, are different from the common brown or green lentils that cook down to a soft, starchy mush. They’re small, slate-green, and firm enough to hold their shape through cooking and dressing, which is exactly what you need for a salad. True Le Puy lentils are grown in the volcanic soil of the Auvergne region in France and carry an AOC designation. The domestic variety, grown in North America, is the same cultivar and cooks identically. Either works — the imported ones just cost more.
Before you start cooking
- Unlike dried beans, French lentils don’t need soaking — just rinse them, drop them into well-salted boiling water, and they’re ready in about 25 minutes. The time will vary slightly depending on how old they are, so taste-test as they cook.
- A classic mirepoix, a combination of small-diced carrot, celery, and onion — goes into the pot partway through cooking. This step gives the salad depth, keeping it firmly in a French bistro rather than wandering into hippie grain-bowl territory. The bay leaf and thyme sprigs are worth adding too, but pull them out before serving.
- Dress the lentils while they’re still warm. This isn’t optional — hot lentils absorb vinaigrette in a way that cold ones simply don’t, and the difference in flavor is significant.
More ideas:
French green lentils are just as good in a warm bowl as they are in a salad — try them in this homemade lentil soup. Or swap in black lentils for a different take: Black lentil salad with feta uses the same basic approach, only I add a Mediterranean spin.
French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
- 2 cups French green lentils, rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 large thyme sprigs
- Kosher salt
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- ½ red onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup goat cheese , or crumbled feta
- ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Let sit 5 minutes to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil until blended. Another option is to put all the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously until blended.
Prepare the lentil salad
- Put the lentils, bay leaf and thyme sprigs in a 4-6 quart pot and cover generously with water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion to the lentils and continue cooking 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. They will have absorbed most, but not all of the liquid.
- Drain the lentils and transfer back to the pot or to a serving bowl. Pluck out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and discard. Pour the dressing over and stir to coat. Add the parsley and spinach and stir through.
- Sprinkle the cheese and walnuts over the salad and serve warm or at room temperature.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. It keeps beautifully refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
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Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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Great recipe!
hey, I found this recipe a little “dry” . I followed it exactly. I wonder if one should wait until the lentils cool to room temp to use the dressing on it?
I did like the flavours, just the dry lentils did not have that unctuousness that you look for in a marinated salad.
Also when you use the recipe double feature it does not double the written instructions, only the ingredients. you do not have water or salt in the ingredients, no biggie for me as I noticed it, but it would throw the water amount completely out of whack if I hadn’t.
Hi Jo, Thanks for the feedback. I can see the confusion with doubling the recipe feature — I’ll make the language clearer in the instructions (generously covered with water, as opposed to an exact amount). As for finding the salad dry, you can always add more oil/vinegar to suit your taste and texture preference. Adding the dressing to the warm lentils is a technique I learned from French-trained cooks. When the lentils are warm and just cooked, they will absorb the flavors of the dressing best.
I made this and it’s a 10/10!!! I followed the instructions perfectly, the only thing I did differently was add beets. I used the precooked ones from the grocery store.
I had a similar salad at a restaurant last week and I wanted to recreate it, I found this recipe and with the addition of beets it’s even better than the one I had at the restaurant.
Wonderful recipe! Very yummy! I substituted arugula (uncooked) for the spinach. Sauted the veggies separately then mixed together with lentils. Loved the dressing!
Love the recipe. Not sure where the nutritional info came from. A 1g serving size would be very very small, so I’m pretty sure it’s not what was intended 😀
Puys lentils are truly one of nature’s wonders. Good balance of ingredients. Used fresh thyme springs from my garden to give it an extra artisanal flair.
My husband and I both LOVED this recipe! So easy and so flavorful. I really like that the carrots, celery and onions are cooked with the lentils, and that it’s severed warm (or room temp). And the dressing complements the goat cheese perfectly. We’ll be making this one again before long 🙂
SOOO glad to know that!
Karen – Just discovered your blog via homies. Your photos are beautiful. Love what you are doing!!
It appears many of us are suffering from too much white…I’m looking forward to green shoots but three feet of snow has to melt first. I agree with you about green lentils. I like adding a little orzo sometimes when I cook them.
Karen, orzo is a fave at my house too. I toast it sometimes before cooking – yum. We saw a little melting this week – yay! But back to Arctic freeze this week it seems..
I like the idea of lentils being a comfort food 🙂
The green lentils are so pretty, I love the sound of this comforting side dish!
Many thanks, Laura!
I may have to make up a batch of these for dinner very soon! I love how simple these are–clearly they’d be perfect alongside so many other dishes.
Eileen, yes lentils are simple and comforting. Just what’s needed about now. They would be great alongside anything!
I love lentils! I can certainly believe that you nust be having a bit of culture shock with the dreadful weather you have had to endure. Take heart! Spring will be here soon! In the mean time, enjoy the lentils. They look wonderful.
Thank you Adri – I cannot wait to see green things again!